The Daily Worker Newspaper, September 28, 1931, Page 1

Ener CUT. WANT “YOUR SIGNATURE. z SURE SO WE CAN GeT “THe Names LGN OF Tue CommunisT Candida ON THe BaLLorT— THe COMMUNIST ARE Say FIGHTING e is = NM Ed Rnunict Party orker WORKERS OF THE WORLD,’ UNITE! U.S.A. eee of the eer nenitt eres! . —=— Vol. Vil, No. 233 Dntered as wi at New York, d-class matier x N, Y., under the act nt the Post Office <e05 of Mareh 3, 1879 y _YORK, MON AY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1931 "oes Cc ITY EDITION STEEL WORKERS! f Capitalist and Socialist FE you swallow the cleverly-worded lies of the capitalist papers, you will think that nobody favors wage cuts. Hoover is supposed to be so “gad” about the wage cuts that he hasn’t had time yet to brush away his tears to tell you HOW sad he is. But if Hoover is against wage cuts, why did he cut the wages of workers on his own California ranch? Senator Fess of Ohio, Chairman of the republican party, says—in the papers—that he “deplores” wage cuts. As a stockholder in the U. S. Steel Corporation, however, he is cutting wages. Walter S. Gifford, head of the American Telephone and Telegraph Co., a gent whom Hoover appointed to make empty speeches about un- employment relief, says—according to the papers—that he is “Firmly For High Wages.’ wages. So you will see, workers, that you But as head of the A.T. & tT. Co., Gifford is cutting cannot believe what capitalists say; that they are a lot of liars trying to fool you. Well, what do the “socialists” say avout the wage cuts? Are they any different? Yes, they are different—but only different kind of liars. The cap- italists pretend to “deplore” wage cuts, but they don’t pretend to plore” capitalism. The so-called “socialists” do pretend to “deplor “ai capitalism and also the wage cuts. But actually they support capitclism and wage cuts. And here is the proof: Norman Thomas, chief of the ‘socialist’ party, writes about “wage cuts and the way out” in his paper, the “New Leader,” of September 26. He opens up by saying that the wage cuts “illustrate the fundamental unsoundness of a cruel ang crazy capitalist system.” ‘That sounds good. But if he didn’t say that, you could not tell any difference between him and Senator is the Fess, Mr. Gifford or Hoover. That “socialist” way of making you think they are “against” capital- ism. But—everything else he says is in favor of capitalism! From that point on he talks about wage cuts. First he says: “Our only hope of real prosperity is increased spending power in the hands of the masses. This necessarily involves maintaining and increasing wages. Wage cuts are a step in exactly the wrong direction.” But, worke exactly like what the head of the republican party, Mr. Fess says to Fess and compare them: “It is sound business to pay present standards of living. sound.” , that expression of the head of the “socialist” party is Listen a wage which will maintain our Anything below that is economically un- But you know that Senator Fess was lying. ‘And now, after Nor- man Thomas having said that wage cuts are “a step in the wrong di- rection’—what else does he say? He continueg thus: “Nevertheless we must face facts. In a time of prolonged depres- sion there is a limit to what you can do by mere negatives.” What does that mean? It means that the “socialist” leader says that, although wage cuts are “wrong,” nothing can be done about it! |And to clinch his argument—a dirty capitalist argument which is a lie, because the workers CAN do something about it—he adds: “In a time like this when prices are falling and~the purchasing power of a dollar is increasing (workers—can any capitalist beat this “socialist” for lying?—Editor); in a time, that is, of deflation, sooncr or Jater wages are going to ve forced down in order to reduce costs of production.” Workers, the Communist Party calls upon you to ORGANIZE AND STRIKE AGAINST WAGE CUTS! It assures you that ifvyou do it and do it.right, the bosses will be forced to take back their wage cuts. Don’t follow this “socialist” rat who tries to make ‘you think you can do noth- ing, that it is “sooner or later going to be.” That really helps the bosses by getting you to accept the wage cuts as “inevitable,” by keeping you quiet. Still more: the “socialist” Ynomas, proceeds to mourn, not for you, workers, but because “the situation is made worse for the United States” \which. means the U. S. capitalists) on account of “a partial policy of inflation in England” which “will reduce English costs in terms of dollars and so help her export trade in its rivalry with American trade.” Since British inflation is being carried out by Norman Thomas’ fellow “socialists” for the benefit of British capitalists, Thomas should address his complaint on behalf of American capitalists to Messrs. Mac- Donald and Henderson, British ‘socialists,’ both of whom agree on inflation. But how inflation “reduces British costs” Thomas doesn’t say. But we will tell you that it reduces costs by a reduction in REAL wages; it cheapens the money wages the workers get so that their wages won't buy as much as before—inflation is a wage cut! Now then, what does Norman Thomas, head of the American “social- ists,” propose to be done? He writes: “At present we must choose between further deflation or conscious and modest inflation, Get that! After apologizing for It is the latter that should be tried.” the direct wage cuts the capitalists are giving you now, workers; and making you think that you cannot do anything about it, this “socialist” leader of America actually advises the capitalists that they should give you another wage cut by inflation, which would reduce your wages just as it does the wages of British workers! This may be excellent advice for American capitalists to try to beat their trade rival, but it is absolutely against the American working class! In the whole column of this “socialist” argument, there is not one word telling the workers to struggle, to organize and strike against wage cuts, The only advice there is to workers is to be quiet and accept them! And the only advice to the capitalists is that they give you another wage cut, indirectly, by inflation! This is But the Communist Party tells you the REAL way out! now, today, in your shops—and strike against wage cuts! grievance committees, committees elected by all in the shop! your strike well and strike solidly what is called “social fascism.” Organize Form your own Prepare and with determination under the leadership of the revolutionary unions of the Trade Union Unity League! Organize and strike! Belmont County Grand J ue Frees Murderer of Striker ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio, Sept. 27. -Joseph Peterlin,-the mine guard who murdered 16-year old William Simon, member of the National Min- ers Union during picketing early in the strike near here, was released yesterday. The murder of Simon was one of the most brutal during the strike. He was sitting on the ground, at the side of the picket line, not at the time taking any part in it. Peterlin recognized him as an active organizer of young miners, and a member of the union and of the Young Communist League. The gunman deliberately shot Simon to death, Enormous crowds of angry miners and members of their fami- lies Jaid-siege to the jail demanding Peterlin’s punishment, while the sheriff rushed to issue a statement exonerating the murderer, and prac- tically praising his crime, Thousands gathered at the funeral of Simon. ‘This was in Belmont County, where the county government appropriates 625,000 to hire and deputize gang- sters to shoot up the striking miners, The Belmont County grand jury meeting here yesterday also. 4 the cases of various strike and threw out the criminal calism charges against Hobert. Edward Rebult, Tony Minerich, Steve Rompa, Henry |Wald, and bhai Pasich. Leo Thompson was convicted of “conspiracy, rioting and assault” in Washington, Pa., while out on bail after his arrest in Ohio on criminal syndicalism charges. He faces a five year term in Pennsylvania unless his case is reversed on appeal, and can be sentenced to ten years in Ohio if convicted there. Thompson came to Pennsylvania to act as National Miners Union section organizer at Canonsburg and his arrest took place along with other arrests because miners of that vicinity demonstrated against a meeting conducted by the strike-breaking United Mine Work- ers of America and successfully de- fended themselves against the gang- sters of the U. M. W. A. RAID “DAILY WORKER” IN ENGLAND! ‘Socialist’? MacDonald Orders Censorship of Communist Paper \Step Toward Fascism ‘Capitalists Hail Traitor Snowden (Cable by Fnprecorr) LONDON, Sept. 27.—On‘Friday the | police raided the offices of the Daily Worker, bearing warrants for the ar- \rest of the two partners of the pub- |lishing company, the manager and a | printer, on charges of incitement to ;mutiny. The partners and manager ‘of the publishing company could not |be found, but the printer was ar- rested. The building was ransacked. |The police threatened to maintain occupation of the building until the wanted persons are arrested. The raid occurred shortly before the paper went to press. The police delayed the printing of the paper, examined all the manuscripts, as a result of which Saturday's issue of the Daily Worker appeared much censored. Reports for Inprecorr were confiscated. eke . | Great Britain gets stronger it is be- |coming clearer that the demand for elections is nothing -byt.the:prepara= | tion, for a fascist dictatorship. Lord | @’Abernon, one of the leading British economists pointed this out to the’ American Chamber of Commerce in London on Friday. He warned that the present world crisis was not “merely a passing phenomenon or a | trade cycle” but was “something far | deeper and more serious and menac- jing than that.” He stated quite sharp- ly that this present crisis means the | sharpening of the class struggle, in | the United States as well as in Great Britain. “The menace of a social dis- (CONTINUED © PAGD THREES HARLEM JOBLESS FIGHT EVICTIONS Mothers, Children The Harlem Unemployed Council successfully resisted the eviction of Mrs. Duval of 37 W. .38th St. when the landlord threatened her because she was two months in arrears. Mrs. Duval had lived in her rooms for 12 years and paid a total rent of $5,616. Workers in the neighborhood ral- lied to stop the eviction and together with a group of children put back the furniture. Later a collection of $4.30 was teken for Mrs. Duval. Mrs. Watkins and her six children of 1 W. 136th St. was evicted a sec- ond time. On the first occasion the Unemployed Council organized to put her furniture back but on this occa- sion the landiord had mobilized Tam- many police to beat off resistance to the eviction. Action of the workers, however, forced action from the po- lice station to find her a place to live. | ‘A demand upon the charity organ- ization at 81 E. 125:h St. on behalf of these families was made by the Unemployed Council, Despite the fact that many smail children are in the families the charity agency refused to do anything. A meeting before the agency was broken up by the police. As the demand for elections in| Landlords Eviet Two | ‘Two Organizers Shot || |At, Beaten, Exiled ‘By Harlan Gunmen NORTON, Va., Sept. 27.—Tom | Myerscough and James Grace, or- nizers of the Nationai Miner: | Union, were arrested at Neon, Ky.,| |thrown in jail at Jenkins, and | jyesterday turned over to the thugs jof the Harlan County coal oper- ators. | ‘The company gunmen tcok both | men to the Virginia line, and) slugged them and shot at them. Myerscough was beaten up first | jand driven along into Virginia | until he made his escape to Ap- |plachia, Va., in a badly bruised | condition, with his clothing torn, | | |but without actually being hit by | the bullets fired at him. Nothing is known of the fate of Grace. Further details are |oeing sent in a day or so. ‘DEMONSTRATION FOR TOM MOONEY ON SATURDAY All Workers Called to Union Square NEW YORK—The rising mass movement to free Tom Mooney will reach a new crest this Saturday, sands of workers will gather in} Union Square and demand the im- mediate unconditional release of the man who has become the symbol of the struggle against capitalist class justice on eyery field, This demon- stration will give a powerful impetus ; kong went into action against “Chine not only to the Mooney defense cam- paign, but to the fight -to free the Harlan, Kentucky, prisoners, 34 of whom are threatened with death, the Scottsboro boys, the five framed-up Paterson silk workers, the Imperial Valley and Centralia prisoners, as well as all other militants now be- hind the bars of the bosses’ jails. | The New York District of the In- ternational Labor Defense is arrang- | ing this mass protest. The October 3 demonstration will have a real united front character, | uniting rank and file workers in both the revolutionary and reactionary trade unions, shop groups, members of fraternal organizations, employed and unemployed, native and foreign- born, Negro and white. It will be a fitting answer to the efforts of the Socialist Party, together with certain fake A. F. of L. “lefts” led by the Rey. A. J. Muste, to confuse the| workers and defeat the united front movement in behalf of Mooney. All workers’ organizations — revo- lutionary trade unions, A. F. of L. | locals, clubs, shop groups, etc.—are also urged to send delegates to the Mooney-Harlan-Scottsboro Defense Conference that has been called by the New York I. L. D. for Sunday, October 11, at 10 a. m., in Irving Plaza, 15th St. and Irving Place. Elect one delegate for every five members. WAR SPREADS INMANCHURIA ‘THREAT USSR fue of } Nations | Backs Japanese Robbers Against Wall Izvestia Warns of Danger to Soviet NEW YORK.—War is spreading in Manchuria, with the Japanese militarists increasing their bombard- {ments, spreading their troops | throughout Chinese territory and nearer to the Soviet Union. At the | same time the League of Nations on Saturday, under the direct order of British imperialism, declared Jap- ;anese imperialism was within its rights in extending its colonial em- pire in Manchuria, through its pres- ent war. This is the expression of the joint t | perialism in this section of China, as against the United States. Wall Street has been seeking to obtain control of Manchurian territory and | October 3, when at 12:30 p. m. thou- | its railroads as against the Japanese, and the action of the League of Na- | tions shows the sharpening fight be- tween these powers over the present drive in Manchuria. An Associated Press dispatch re- | Ported that British.troops in Hong- ese who demonstrated against Jap- anese robbery in Manchuria. The | Argyll and Sutherland Highlands made a bayonet charge against Chinese at a mass meeting. How many were killed or injured is not reported. “Tavestia,” the Soviet mewspaper, declares that the action of Japan in Manchuria is “war in the most lit- eral sense.” “Izvestia” also warns that Japanese imperialism is rapidly | pushing the war front towards the | Soviet Union. It calls on all work- ers to act in the defense of the So- viet Union; to expose the imperialist grasping of colonies in China, the murder of workers and peasants, and the imperialist rivalries which are covered in the capitalist countries by | the most lying phrases. In Nanking, Charles A. Lindbergh so-called “mission of mercy” in the | flood area, were exposed when thou- sands of Chinese workers who are on i verge of starvation, flocked around Lindbergh's plane and asked for food. Lindbergh quickly got out | of the way as his intention was not! to “alleviate the suffering of the Chinese,” but to strengthen the hand of Wall Street. Many starving work- ers were severely beaten by the po- lice and soldiers because they dared to ask the Lindberghs for food on their “flight of mercy.” Street | interests of British and Japanese im- } |and his wife, who claim to be on a} i 473 Delegates From 48 Steel Towns Draw emands for Fight | PITTSBURGH, Pa. Sept. 27—With steel workers jamming the | hall up to the very platform, with all aisles and platform crowded, the delegates still arriving, the Metal Workers Industrial League nation- al conference, a rallying cry for organization and fight against a 10 per cent wage cut, opened Sunday morning at 11 o'clock. 48 Towns Send Delegates. Workers from 48 ‘steel towns, including every big steel mill in the count with tne exception of Birmingham, Alabama, section, where the Metal Worke Indus trial League has | a good organization, sent 423 delegates. Six wives and mothers of steel workers came from | Ambridge; another mother with a baby i r arms came from Johnstown The conference went into action and the be re elected officers: Joe Dz ch vice-chairmen from Youngstown s Point, Maryland, McKeesport, Moi John Meldon, national secretary, ana a the steel industr plause of the delegates listed the ke; around which the steel wo demands include wages not less than $5 a day for every steel wo. equal work; special youth demands; full pay for all remain at home with full pay without reporting time spent in Call For Industrial Union. Meldon pointed out that the League no longer is enough but that Workers’ Industrial Union, and it was the situation warrants it sooner. workers the decided to call a full convention in Dec “We must have local unions now based on all der ment groups in the mill together the local and all under the leadership of the National Committee which we will elect today. W ve most concise united front action with everybody on an equal killed and w illed , foreign = women in the do it! miil born and unemployed and employed. We must not forget the importance of orga steel towns into auxiliaries, also the girls in the tin houses. We have a tremendo’ job and “Prepare for immediate action! We will print 50,090 copies of our pr ‘am bring This tremendous conference proves we have the machinery to reach every mill. Then we c ‘ict apparatus. PAY CUTS SWEEP ON; R. R. BOSSES WORK UP TACTICS Warning to e must eve bs es : Steel, Textile Worker's Act Against Pay Cuts ‘Mass Meet In Lawrence to Rally Workers to Fight General Pay Cut; Bosses Anxtous Qver Move of Steel Workers Workers On to Act Now Pay Cuts NEW YORK.— | NEW YORK—Marshalling all their forces | ine “cpovemen t | Daniel Willard, pre to further the general wage cut drive, ¢apital- lists, their government and the A. F. of L. lead- | O. made | strategy of made cle the bosse: clear e lership are extending the pay slashes to new} \industries and plants and are now preparing | | for an attack on the railroad workers and the building trades. | | The action of the workers in preparing for strike is gain-| ing momentum particularly on two fronts, steel and textiles. | \In many steel towns the workers discuss nothing else but the | |Pittsburgh Metal Workers’ Industrial League Conference | Times cums it follows “Should the railway manage- ments .attempt to reduce wages now, and should the unions fail to acquiesce, a long period of negotia- tion would follow.” up. for the bo: | where right now steel workers are #—_—__—_____,~. |_ It is not a question of “should | preparing action to resist wage cuts.| the steel workers, to see if the A. F.| They are going to cut wages and In Pittsburgh the fight of the entire | of L. is abio to keep back action. The | have decided upon it, and they look working class is now centered against | railroad cutives met a few days | for the union to “acquiesce.” If they | wage cuts. The bosses are watching | ago and passed a resolution to de- | don’t do it openly, the railroads are clare wage cuts, but to wait to see | prepared to put over the cut and Starving Mexican Peasants Rise Against U.S. Ranchers Capitalist press reports from Ense- nada, in Baja (Lower) California, the Mexican state which occupics a long peninsula extending south from California, U.S.A., tell of a movement | of 350 armed Mexican peasants led by Francisco Flores, against the own- ership of great ranches by U. S. cap- italists. The peasantry have invaded | the 1,500 acre ranch called “Circle- Bar” owned by George Gordon Moore of New York City, and. also the Two hundred petty officers of the Spanish navy were arrested Satur- day and jailed for protesting against the refusal of the government to in- crease their pay while the pay of the higher officers had been incressed. The petty officers, who are the skilled workers among the rank and file aboard the ships, sent a telegram of protest to the Minister of the Navy. In order to prevent the militancy of these workers in the navy from spreading to other ships the govern- ment has issued a statement denying the arrests. The protest occurred 200 Spanish Sailors Jailed In Widespread Wage Protest aboard the battleshtp Jaime, the cruiser Espana, eix torpedo boats, and four submarines ‘The sailors of the Chilean navy re- volted on September 2. The British sailors refused to continue with the naval maneuvers on September 15 in protest against the wage cuts of the MacDonald hunger budget and the government has not yet dared to send them out again. September 26 the petty officers of the Spanish navy were jailed for protesting against the miserable wages of the Spanish capi- talist republi- Governor Sends Troops To Kill Them for Eating Cattle ranches owned by Ross Neal and C. N. Carr, other wealthy U. S. cit- izen. The peasantry seized slaughtered cattle for food. John Smaile, U. S. consul at En- senada, has filed protests. with the governor of Baja California and with ithe state department at Washington. Governor Carlos y Lerdo de Tejada, the governor of Baja California, has sent troops to attack the peasants. Starving Masses These ranches were obtained for a few cents an acre by American friends of the grafting Mexican gov- ernment, officials, some of them as long ago as the reign of the dic- tator, Porfirio Diaz. The peasantry jon the land thus granted to foreign imperialist exploiters were cruelly driven off, with loss of all their poor possessions, by the government sold- iers. The Mexican peasants, corn- ered now on the poorer land, have been starving during the present eco- nomic depression, as have also the horribly underpaid and often unem- ployed workers of the small cities and the agricultural laborers. A short time ago there ,was an and} then begins a long quibble to wear down the resistance of the workers. In the same Times story there are several admissions that the coming wage cut for the railroad workers is | not the first. There have been plenty mass meeting will be held in Union | 4lready, through part-time, stagger | Hall Tuesday night at which the|S¥stem, and through speed up. The yanmar aenonueeaties in the| workers will voice their desire for or- | Times admits it in this way: northern cities of Baja California. | ganization and strike as an answer “While wage rates on railways The state government is one of| to the ever-advancing attacks of the| Femain at the levels that prevailed the most ruthlessly exploiting and | posses before the depression the real wages j.q| of railway labor have been curtail- grafting in Mexico, and makes a large | i, where the United | ol y e n curtail income for its officials from the wide | _ ©" ed drastically through part time or open dives and gambling joints of | States steel corporation rules the) fai unemployment.” Tia Juana, a border town. This yor Rerenen on September 25th pack- And again on wage cuts through ernor was reported impeached Friday | ed Turner Hall to listen to Frank | Speed up they say: for graft, one example being build- | spector andgwildly cheered the call| , “The efficiency of railway labor ing a $7,000 monument that fell sa in recent years has been greatly pieces in three days. enhanced by the use of better equipment and as a result the rail- ways moved a record yolume of traffic in 1929 with fewer employes than they had ten years before.” Even Willard of the B. & O. ad- mits this saying: “I regret the necessity for the furloughing of men on the Balti- more & Ohio Railroad. One third how the steel workers took their cut. In Lawrence, Mags., where the tex- tile bosses have announced a general | wage cut for October 13th, the Na- tional Textile Workers Union is mob- ilizing the workers for action. A workers, (CONTINUED ON PAGE THRER) Imperial Valley Prisoners Are Being Sentenced Now SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, Sept. 27.— lease of these prisoners. The ~adress| OTe ber ‘ we employed in 1923 ‘The cases of the Imperial Valley | is “Neumiller, State Prison Board, Ba egentin,: Cal.” Tat the priein| OTS) Oe eeemneeees ee Been laid off. 1 regret very much the necessity for that.” Williard will also “regret” the big wage slash he will soon order. Wage Cuts in Chicago, Providence prisoners came up before the Cali- fornia State Prison Board Saturday. These prisoners, given indetermi- nate sentences by the trial court are now having their actual sentences board know that the working class demands the release of thees rail- roaded workers! . fixed, within the limits of “one to fourteen years”, “two to 28 years” or “three to 42 years” set by the trial court. Every workers’ organization, local and national, as well as prominent individuals, should at once send tele- grams demanding the immediate re- ‘Telegrams Sent NEW YORK.—Telegrams from the International Labor Defense, the Trade Union Unity League, Unem- ployed Councils and other militant labor organizations insisting upon the release of the seven Imperial Valley, (CONTINUED ON PAGE THREB) CHICAGO,’ Sept. 27."— A general wage cut will be put into effect here of from 1Qs¢9 15 per cent in the Stewart-Wartier Corporation. This company has cut wages before. PROVIDENCE, R, 1, Sept. 27+ (OONTINUBD ON PAGS